Cancer: Disease or Death?? (Part 3)

Cancer Staging & Grading

Well, cancer is a process. It just doesn't manifest. Just know, staging is how far while grading is how fast.

What is Cancer Staging?

It's how far cancer has spread. The "how far" equates to how much cancer is in the body.

Basis of Cancer Staging:

• Tumor size
• Site of origin
• Cancer spread or metastasis
• Where it has spread (Destination)

Stages of cancer

a) Stage 0
It's very early cancer almost at undetectable level. Cancer cells are only at the lining of an organ. They've not entered to affect the deeper tissues.
(b) Stage I
Cancer is only at the original site. It hasn't spread to nearby tissues.
(c) Stage II  
Cancer has spread to nearby areas within the original site.
(d) Stage III
Cancer has spread throughout the nearby area.
(e) Stage IV
Cancer has spread to other body parts.
(f) Recurrent
Cancer has been treated but has come back. It may recur at the original site or to a different one.

Staging System 
Doctors use the TNM System.

T - Tumor
N - Lymph Node involvement
M - Metastasis

Spread & Metastasis 

To spread is to diffuse or disseminate.
Cancer cells diffuse to invade a whole organ. Eg, breast cancer. Cancer cells can invade various tissues within the breast for example, milk ducts, lobules, etc.

Metastasis is whereby cancer cells affect other organs after affecting the primary site. For example, the milk lobules can burst to release cancer cells which can infiltrate the lungs. Naming would be; breast cancer metastatic to the lungs.

Now you know.

Continued.... Cancer Grading (next blog post)